Board game apparatus

ABSTRACT

Game apparatus comprising a playing surface and a random result selector consisting of a roulette wheel, said surface being marked out with a first area constituted by 2 to 12 columns each comprising 1 to 5 places for the reception of chips, along which columns chips may be advanced place by place in dependence on the results selected by the selector, and a second area comprising a grid of 13 X 13 places for the reception of further chips to indicate the result or results bet on for an individual operation of the random result selector. Result selector indicia are arranged along two adjacent sides of the grid in the same order, so that one indicium is selected by placing chips along a diagonal, whereas chips placed elsewhere on the grid select two different indicia. In a preferred embodiment the apparatus is comprised in a gaming table.

United States Patent de Keller 1541 BOARD GAME APPARATUS [72] Inventor: David Guy de Keller, The East India & Sports Club, St. James Square, London, S.W. 1, England [22] Filed: Aug. 28, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 67,906

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 2, 1 969 Great Britain ..43,332/69 [52] US. Cl. ..273/134 E, 273/135 G [51] Int. Cl. ..A63f 3/00 [58] Field of Search ..273/134, 135

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,615,927 2/1927 Atkinson ..273/134 E 2,664,292 12/1953 Lee ..273/135 G FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,051,062 12/1966 Great Britain ..273/135 G France ..273/135 G Great Britain ..273/135 G Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe Attorney-Baldwin, Wight & Brown 5 7] ABSTRACT Game apparatus comprising a playing surface and a random result selector consisting of a roulette wheel, said surface being marked out with a first area constituted by 2 to 12 columns each comprising 1 to 5 places for the reception of chips, along which columns chips may be advanced place by place in dependence on the results selected by the selector, and a second area comprising a grid of 13x13 places for the 'reception of further chips to indicate the result or results bet on for an individual operation of the random result selector. Result selector indicia are arranged along two adjacent sides of the grid in the same order, so that one indicium is selected by placing chips along a diagonal, whereas chips placed elsewhere on the grid select two different indicia. In a preferred embodiment the apparatus is comprised in a gaming table.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 BOARD GAME APPARATUS number of results, the surface being marked out with a first area constituted by at least two, preferably six to 12, columns each comprising at least one, preferably three to five, places for the reception of chips, along which columns chips may be advanced place by place in dependence on the results selected by the selector, and a second area comprising at least two places for the reception of further chips to indicate the result or results bet on for an individual operation of the random result selector.

Preferably the second area is marked out as a grid divided into 'up to '16 X 16 places, e.g. l3 X 13 places, e.g. squares. The end places along a side or two adjacent sides of the grid may be marked with indicia representing the results on which it is possible to wager bets.

In playing the game of chance using apparatus according to the present invention, each player bets on the result which he considers will be the first to be selected by the selector, after one or more operations thereof, the number of times there are places in each column of said first area. Following each operation of the selector, a chip corresponding to the result selected is moved a place along its respective column. The winner is the player whose chip first enters the end place of a column and he will then take the pool comprising the total stakes bet by the players. As the selector may have to be operated a number of times before the winner is declared, each player, or a further individual or individuals not engaged in the main game using the first area, can use the second area to bet on the result selected on each individual operation of the selector. In other words, as the main game is carried on, a number of independent individual games can be played using the same selector.

The random result selector may be a roulette wheel of the bowl and rotor type provided with peripheral pockets for receiving the ball. The pockets are each marked with indicia (although omitting the zero) and chips marked with corresponding indicia are used on the first area. The second area is marked with corresponding indicia so that for each operation of the selector the result or results bet on by the player or players are clearly indicated. Alternatively a die or dice, a pack of cards, a spinning top or aset of counters maybe employed as the random result selector.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention a gaming table is provided having a surface marked out as described above and supporting a roulette wheel, preferably arranged between said first and second areas.

A preferred gaming table in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the gaming table,

FIG. 2 is another plan view of the gaming table showing the roulette wheel in more detail but omitting the Zodiac signs for clarity,

FIG. 3 is aside elevation of the gaming table of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is a section on the line lV-IV of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings the gaming table is a fourlegged table 1 having a flat playing surface la supporting a roulette wheel 2 recessed therein. The surface la is marked out on opposite sides of the wheel 2 with a first area 3 constituted by 12 columns 4 extending longitudinally of the table-1, each column 4 being constituted by three individual squares 5, and a second area 6 marked out'as a grid of 13 by 13 individual squares 7.

Twelve end squares 8 of two adjacent sides of the grid are (except for the corner square 8a) each marked with a sign of the Zodiac in the manner shown in FIG. 1, whilst opposite end square 9 of the other two sides of the grid are unmarked. It will be appreciated that if a chipis placed on any of those unmarked end squares 9, or alternatively on squares lying on the diagonal 10 of the grid, it will be in line with, and so indicate, only one sign of the Zodiac, whereas if it is placed on any other square it will be in line with, and thus indicate two signs of the Zodiac.

The roulette wheel 2 has 12 pockets 1 1, each shown marked with a different sign of the Zodiac in FIG. 1, and twelve special chips, not shown, to be used on area 3 as hereinafter described, are each marked with a different sign of the Zodiac.

In playing the game (which I have named Aquarius up to 12 players each selects a marked chip bearing the Zodiac sign of his choice and places it behind the base line 12 of a column 4 of the first area 3 and the roulette wheel 2 is operated. Dependent upon the result selected by the roulette wheel, i.e. the pocket 11 in which the ball finally comes to rest, a player advances his marked chip one place along his column 4 for each spin of the roulette wheel. The player who is the first to move his chip into the end square 13 of his column 4 wins the game and collects all the money staked in a pool. In this particular embodiment it will be appreciated that the minimum number of times the roulette wheel 2 must be rotated for a player to win is three, whilst the maximum number of times is 25.

Whilst waiting for the final result of the game the same or different players may each bet on each individual result selected by the roulette wheel 2 by placing an unmarked chip on the second area 6 against the sign or signs of the Zodiac which he fancies. If he bets on two signs then the bank will pay out odds of 5-1 whereas if he bets on one sign the bank will pay out odds of 1 1-1 so that there is an equal chance for each player of winning. Usually only one player may bet on one sign of the Zodiac, but if more than one player does so, the odds will be adjusted accordingly.

It will be appreciated that the players taking part in the longer game using the first area 3 need not be the same as those taking part in each individual game using the second area 6 and the two areas 3, 6 are accordingly spaced sufficiently apart with the roulette wheel 2 between them. Clearly the number of columns 4 and the number of squares 5 in each column of the first area 3 may be varied, as may be the number of squares 7 in the second area 6. The number of possible results may also be varied. For example the roulette wheel 2 will have at least two pockets, preferably from two to 15, but may have even more if necessary to accommodate large numbers of players.

. Furthermore the playing surface 1a may be constituted by a cloth on which the first and second areas are marked out and which may be rolled up when not in use. The present invention comprehends a kit of parts comprising the playing surface and a random result selector, for example packaged in a presentation box. Clearly, other indicia may be used as alternatives to the signs of the Zodiac in the game apparatus of the present invention.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for playing a game of chance comprising random result selector means for equally chancewise indicating any one of a plurality of different results, means defining first and second play areas for .the receipt of first and second play pieces, respectively,

said first play area having means defining a path of movement for each of said first. play pieces with each path of movement having a plurality of places, means correlating each 'path with a different one of said plurality of different results such that movement of said first play pieces is dependent upon the particular result indicated by said random resultselector means, said second play area having means identifying all of said plurality of different results capable of being indicated by said random result selector means, said second play pieces being positionable upon said second play area prior to the operation of said random result selector means as a prediction of one of said plurality of results whereby a single result of said random result selector means is operative to indicate the advancement of one of said first play pieces along the path correlated to said single result and indicate the correctness of incorrectness of the predictions indicated by said second play pieces, said second play area including a grid pattern having a border along at least two adjacent portions of which are two duplicate series of indicia identifying each of said different results, whereby a diagonal area of said grid pattern is operative for simultaneously indentifying the same result on both border portions.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein at least two columns are defined by said plurality of places.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said correlating means in an indicium on each of said first play pieces corresponding to one of said different results.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 where other adjacent portions of said border of said grid pattern are devoid of said indicia. 

1. Apparatus for playing a game of chance comprising random result selector means for equally chancewise indicating any one of a plurality of different results, means defining first and second play areas for the receipt of first and second play pieces, respectively, said first play area having means defining a path of movement for each of said first play pieces with each path of movement having a plurality of places, means correlating each path with a different one of said plurality of different results such that movement of said first play pieces is dependent upon the particular result indicated by said random result selector means, said second play area having means identifying all of said plurality of different results capable of being indicated by said random result selector means, said second play pieces being positionable upon said second play area prior to the operation of said random result selector means as a prediction of one of said plurality of results whereby a single result of said random result selector means is operative to indicate the advancement of one of said first play pieces along the path correlated to said single result and indicate the correctness of incorrectness of the predictions indicated by said second play pieces, said second play area including a grid pattern having a border along at least two adjacent portions of which are two duplicate series of indicia identifying each of said different results, whereby a diagonal area of said grid pattern is operative for simultaneously indentifying the same result on both border portions.
 2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein at least two columns are defined by said plurality of places.
 3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said correlating means in an indicium on each of said first play pieces corresponding to one of said different results.
 4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 where other adjacent portions of said border of said grid pattern are devoid of said indicia. 